The present invention relates generally to portable electronic device interfacing systems and processes. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and system for providing a mechanical and electrical interface between a universal interface module and a plurality of portable electronic devices having different physical configurations. The interface module can be located in an automobile, at home, in an office or in any other location where a power supply is available to allow access to features not offered by the portable electronic device alone. The portable electronic device may be a portable phone, portable computer, wireless data terminal or other wireless communication device or personal data assistant.
Portable telephone systems have gained widespread acceptance as an efficient means of voice and data communications. While early mobile units were large and complex, miniaturization has made possible hand-held units with full functional telephony capabilities allowing the user freedom to use a phone in a mobile environment, such as in a vehicle or at a location remote from a hard wired connection to an existing telephony system. In addition, the cost of purchasing and using a portable phone has substantially declined and the quality and clarity of communication over a portable phone has increased causing increased and widespread demand for portable phones by the public and resulting in the proliferation of multiple configurations of portable phones by many different manufacturers.
Unfortunately, the mobility and miniaturization of portable phones, together with the widespread adoption by the general public, has created practical issues for use of such phones. For example, the very use of the phone itself by the driver of a moving vehicle, i.e., dialing and conversing while holding the phone proximate his ear and mouth, raises safety issues for not only the driver but any passenger in the driver""s vehicle as well as the occupants of other vehicles. In an attempt to solve this safety and convenience problem, portable phone manufacturers have made available car kits to allow for partial hands-free use of the phone. These kits include physical hardware to retain or mount the phone in the vehicle and a power cord to access the electrical system of the car for power rather than use the phone""s battery and, in some instances, may also include attachments for connecting between the phone and a user headset or the car""s audio speakers, a microphone and antenna. However, while these kits allow hands-free conversation, they do not allow hands-free dialing or operation of the phone and, unless a headset is being used by the driver, even the communication may be difficult if the phone is mounted in a location sufficiently removed from the driver that the internal microphone and speaker of the phone are inadequate. Moreover, if a headset is being used, the driver may be unable to hear emergency vehicle sirens, car horns or other important audible noises that contribute to safe driving.
Additionally, because there is a large variety of portable telephones in existence, each with its own unique mechanical, electrical and control interface, no single car kit can provide any form of universal connection among different phones and the power supply offered by the electrical system of a vehicle. Thus, consumers must have a different kit for every different phone, a problem which is occurring with greater frequency due to rapidly increasing technical capabilities and performance in new phones and the decreasing cost of portable phones, and as different members of the same family acquire portable phones for their individual use. Similarly, automobile fleet users, such as large corporations, cannot provide a universal car kit connection for the variety of phones their employees may use and car rental companies cannot provide users with means to use their portable phones, or any other type of portable electronic device, in rented vehicles. Thus, users are forced to abandon their investment in the car kit when purchasing new models of telephones or users operate hand-held electronic devices while driving rather than purchasing an inadequate car kit for their car; an unsafe condition which is subject to increasing governmental concern and regulation.
Yet another issue raised by currently available phone mounting kits for cars is the adequacy of the mounting mechanism. Because space is a premium commodity in the passenger compartment of a vehicle, a phone mounting mechanism cannot be too large or too cumbersome. Depending upon where the mounting mechanism may be installed, i.e., on or under the dashboard or on the console between the front seats, space constraints may preclude certain types of mounting mechanisms. Moreover, vehicle safety requirements, such as have been promulgated by governmental agencies and telephone industry associations, require that any mechanism for mounting a portable phone in a vehicle be able to withstand impact forces up to twenty-five pounds in order to minimize the danger of the phone being dislodged in an accident and causing damage to an occupant of the vehicle. Additionally, the mounting mechanism, whatever its configuration, must be able to withstand normal road vibrations without failure.
One attempt to address the foregoing problems is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,274 entitled Universal Connection For Cellular Telephone Interface. Therein, the inventors describe a mounting kit for a car which includes a common interface module and a pocket adapter. A portable phone mounts in the pocket and the pocket attaches to the interface module with a sliding movement along the longitudinal axis of the interface module. The pocket further includes an electrical connector which connects the internal electronics of the phone to the pocket. The interface module is electrically connected to the pocket by a flexible cord. Power for operating the phone and charging its battery is provided through the cord as is a connection to an external antenna. In addition, the interface module may include a microprocessor for managing communications with the phone and a memory device for storing operating parameters relating to the phone being used with the device. While this invention addresses certain of the foregoing issues, the interconnection between the pocket and the interface module can be improved. The sliding action for engagement of the retaining clip on the interface module by the latching assembly on the pocket member uses too much space. Moreover, it is unlikely that this mechanism dampens road vibrations or adequately secures the phone and pocket to the interface module during an impact.
Other efforts have been made to provide a latching mechanism that will withstand impact as well as road vibration, but these devices are also lacking. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,358, entitled Adapter For Mounting Portable Radio Apparatus To Moving Body And Charger For Portable Radio Apparatus, describes a portable phone mount for use in a vehicle where a retaining slot in the base of the phone first engages a lug in the adapter device and the phone is then rotated clockwise until the upper portion of the phone body engages a pair of ratchets in the mounting mechanism. While this mechanism may adequately secure the phone in the mount, the motion required to mount the phone is inefficient. It fails to minimize the use of space in the vehicle.
The present invention provides an improved mounting system for use with portable electronic devices, as well as an enhanced support system which not only facilitates use of the portable electronic device, but advantageously expands the features available to the user via the portable electronic device. As used herein, the term portable electronic device is intended to refer to not only portable phones, but portable computers, ham radio devices, other types of wireless communication devices, wireless data terminals and other types of personal data assistants (PDAs) .
The system includes a pocket member and an interface module. The interface module may be mounted in a vehicle or at any other location where it can be attached to a power source. The interface module connects to a pocket member through a universal or common mounting mechanism. The pocket member includes a receiving section for supporting and connecting to a portable electronic device such as a portable phone. Thus, while the receiving sections of pocket members will vary from one pocket member to another to accommodate portable electronic devices of different types and manufacturers, the mechanism for connecting a pocket member to the interface module will be common. In this way, all pocket members can interface with an interface module, regardless of the type of portable electronic device and receiving section embodied in the pocket member. As a result, an interface module may be mounted at a single location, such as within a single vehicle, but used with a plurality of pocket members which support different portable electronic devices. In addition, a user may acquire multiple interface modules and place them at convenient locations, such as in a car, at home and at the office, and use a single pocket member in combination with each interface module.
The common mounting mechanism between the pocket member and the interface module is designed to optimize space utilization requirements. Rather than employing a sliding or rotational engagement between the pocket member and the interface module or some other complex motion which requires critical open space surrounding the mounting unit to accomplish a secure mounting of the portable electronic device in the vehicle, the present invention utilizes a limited, one dimensional motion to engage a latch mechanism between the pocket member and the interface module. As the pocket member is seated in the interface module using a short one dimensional movement of the pocket member, the latching mechanism moves from a first unengaged position to a second engaged position to secure the pocket member to the interface module. The latching mechanism includes one or more tabs which extend out of the interface module and into the pocket member to attain securement of the two components. In the preferred embodiment the tabs are offset such that they engage the pocket member sequentially rather than simultaneously. This reduces the amount of force needed to engage the tabs in the pocket member without compromising the strength of the engagement. The overall result is an improved latching mechanism that requires a minimum amount of space to use and one that fully satisfies all government safety requirements regarding vehicle impact tests.
A further advantage of the present invention is that the interface module may be mounted to a vehicle dashboard or center console solely through access to the exposed surface of the interface module. In many existing portable phone mounts, the installer must gain access to the backside of the mounting surface. The interface module of the present invention is designed with multiple apertures that extend through its body to allow easy mounting through the exposed or outer mounting surface. The design conforms to new industry standards for portable phone mounting in vehicles.
In addition to the foregoing improved mounting mechanisms, a need also exists to provide enhanced features to portable phone users as more and more people seek ways to improve productivity in their business and personal lives. Because many people spend a significant amount of time in their cars, improving the functional capabilities of portable phones as used in automobiles will potentially make people more productive while simultaneously making use of the phones more safe. The present invention provides solutions to these problems. First, the vehicle mounting mechanisms allow for hands-free use in an automobile, making driving safer during phone conversations. Hands-free use can be further optimized by connecting the portable phone to a power source to preserve battery life, to simultaneously charge the battery while the phone is in use, and to amplify the audio capabilities of the portable phone by connecting it to external speakers, such as the speakers in the vehicle stereo system, to an external microphone to enhance reception of the user""s voice and to an external antenna for improved reception and less dropped calls. All of these capabilities can be achieved through the electronics provided in the interface module.
In still other embodiments of the present invention other improved capabilities and features can be offered. For example, the interface module can include a microprocessor and memory which can store voice recognition software. Thus, the phone and all of its features can be operated by voice commands rather than manual activation of buttons on the phone key pad. Rather than manually dialing the phone while driving, the user can simply activate the phone through voice commands. This can include accessing a phone number from a phone book stored in the phone""s memory, or some other portable electronic device or PDA, and instructing the phone to call the number. The memory can also be used for voice dictation to create letters, memos or to store notes and other thoughts while driving. This kind of memory feature can also be included in the pocket member and function like a portable dictation device. Because the phone and pocket member are detachable from the interface module and therefore portable, the pocket member can be detached from the car and moved to another interface module at home or the office where the memory can be transferred to another device, such as a computer, for further use.
It is also contemplated that the interface module can further include software and processing capabilities for converting voice into text and text into voice. For example, the portable phone can be used for Internet access and information received in an analog or digital text format can be converted into an audio format for the convenience of the user. More specifically, the user could access and receive e-mail messages that can be converted into audio messages while driving. The user could also receive any other information from the Internet or perform transactions such as buying and selling stock, accessing bank accounts and obtaining credit information., etc. The interface module can also be used to communicate with, or between, PDAs located near and/or remote from the interface module including Internet protocol (IP) capable PDAs. The interface module can also communicate with a data connector port associated with the adaptor or pocket. In the context of vehicle usage, the interface module can operate in the vehicle to obtain or execute vehicle bus diagnostic information.